It’s sometimes confusing, particularly for new collectors, to determine what is genuine Inuit art and what is not. Some stores and gift shops sell souvenir “carvings” made of plastic, ceramic or stone, that have been mass-produced. These are NOT authentic Inuit art pieces from Canada's Arctic.

How can you tell the difference?

If there are several pieces that look EXACTLY alike . . .

If a piece has a cute, conventional look similar to a ceramic figurine . . .

If a piece has marks made from the moulding process . . .

If a piece is priced below $50 . . .

- they are not likely original works of Inuit art.

Check the base of the sculpture for a signature. Most carvers sign and date their work, either in Inuktitut syllabics or Roman orthography. Instead of a signature, older sculptures may have a number preceded by an ‘E’ or a ‘W’. These are Disc Numbers, a discarded form of identification the Canadian government imposed on Inuit individuals in the past.